


i implore you (it’s time to come back)

by HiddenEye



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Family Reunions, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Luke Skywalker Needs A Hug, M/M, Minor Poe Dameron/Finn/Rey, Older Characters, POV Outsider, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:47:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28890861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenEye/pseuds/HiddenEye
Summary: And then, the door swings open, with Luke opening his mouth to no doubt tell her off, when he freezes at the sight of the Mandalorian.“You gotta be kidding me.” Luke blurts out, burning a hole into the middle of his new visitor’s head with a vicious frown.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker
Comments: 87
Kudos: 927
Collections: Most Favs





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: title from Mary Oliver’s “Summer Morning” from Red Bird.
> 
> The thought of Luke and Din growing old together is simply CHEF KISSES.
> 
> Anyway, I took Luke’s characterisation in the sequels of a disgruntled old man and used that in this fic. And also, imagine Poe meeting Rey earlier in TFA, and you’ll be fine.
> 
> Enjoy!

Rey doesn’t know what to expect from this.

She’s nervous, sure, she’s bound to be nervous when she’s meeting one of the last group of people who can finally give her some answers — answers she’s been trying to find since she was a little girl.

It’s growing up alone and abandoned on Jakku, searching through the scrapes just to live through the week and hoping she’ll find some food that’ll fill her stomach for the rest of the day. Then, she’ll pack up some leftovers at the side. That’ll be breakfast, and she always gives the covered package a little pat for good luck before turning herself in bed.

And throughout the whole way, she’s been questioning this, this _feeling_ inside her chest. It exists in her because sometimes, she feels the way it moves around her, reaching out to everyone that deems it worth its attention. Sometimes, it saves her life. Sometimes, when she stares at the canvas of dark blue littered with stars from her little shipwreck home, she thinks she’d be very lonely without it.

It’s been a companion for her for a while, like a guiding hand that shows her the best way to live her life despite owning next to none. And she’s grateful for it, even if it’s nothing much. Nothing at all, if she’s honest.

She doesn’t have a name for it, doesn’t even know what it is. But, she welcomes it all the same, and thinks to herself how she’ll keep herself safe with this feeling inside of her for the next of her life.

That’s until Finn comes along.

That time when Finn drops a whole mess onto the bazaar is the time when this _thing_ inside her chest goes absolutely nuts. The little feeling that’s been living with her for as long as she can remember points to this man with an adamant finger and says, _This one. I am begging you to make friends with this one._

She’s taken one look at his dusty self, face wet with what she thinks is water, and thinks, _Why the krif should I do that?_

The feeling inside her chest jabs a finger at Finn’s way and insists, _Just go to him._

Really, she never realises that meeting Finn is the reason why the feeling inside her chest is actually called the Force until she’s given all the time in the universe to think about it in the Falcon. 

If it isn’t for him, Rey wouldn’t have found out about the Jedi and how she’s one of them. If Finn didn’t crash into Jakku because he and Poe have been escaping from the First Order, Rey wouldn’t have met them with BB-8, and her round friend wouldn’t have shown her where Luke Skywalker has been hiding all these years.

Rey trusts the Force more than she did before, especially when she can put a name on this feeling that lives inside of her. It has led her to the best people she now keeps in her heart, after all.

It’s hours before she arrives at Ahch-To, and she has the time to think about it. What would Luke Skywalker be like? Absolutely iconic, that’s for sure, with all the stories she’s heard of him and what he’s done to make sure the way of the Jedi doesn’t snuff out when he’s not looking. The Jedi Council may not exist anymore after Kylo Ren destroyed his master’s work out of petty rage, but Luke Skywalker manages to build the Jedi from the ashes up in his younger days, and she thinks that’s absolutely incredible.

He might be terrifying; one doesn’t obliterate a whole Death Star and defeat one of the most feared tyrants in the galaxy without being at least a little intimidating. 

Rey doesn’t know, that’s the thing. Chewie doesn’t tell her about Luke Skywalker much other than he’s Han’s best friend and will always remain his best friend, even if it’s at the end. Rey tries to gently prod more information out of the Wookie, but he keeps his lips shut, only grunting at her questions until she gives up.

With time passing by in a shorter time than she likes, she can see the island up close. Anticipation and excitement roll together in one messy ball in her throat, and Rey watches the way large waves crash against the shore. She’s able to pick out some small houses littered in the middle of it all, away from the cold spray of water. 

It’s desolate. There’s absolutely nothing else that indicates anyone lives there except the Lanai, who have come out of their homes and point at the Falcon with jabbing fingers. But, Rey knows he’s there. The Jedi everyone has been searching for the longest time is lurking within those dark stones and harsh waters, and she’s going to find him. She’s going to train with him.

They find a place to land, and Rey takes a deep breath.

* * *

“Absolutely not.”

Luke Skywalker dismisses her with a brush of his robe, leaving her to gape after him as he stalks down the rocky clift. Rey slams her mouth close and rushes after him. “ _What?_ ”

“You heard me,” Luke calls out over his shoulder, making his way through the small road with practiced ease, while Rey has to watch where she’s going or she’ll fall and puncture a hole into her skull. “I’m not going to train you. I had enough of students that gave me absolute grief to last several more years.”

“Master Skywalker, I need you to teach me,” Rey tells him, and this isn't it. This isn’t how she thinks it is supposed to play out. She’s not supposed to _chase_ after one of the most legendary Jedi to his own home. “This is for the greater good of the galaxy.”

“For the past decades I lived, I’ve done everything for the good of the galaxy,” Luke grouches out, still marching away from her, stepping over a large plothole in the middle of the unstable track. “I’ve had _enough_. Find another Jedi who can do a better job than I ever did. At least _they’ll_ be more successful.”

“That’s just the thing, Master Skywalker, you’re the only one I can count on,” Rey skips over the same hole. “There’s no one else who can teach me the way of the Jedi unless it’s you.”

Rey screeches to a stop when Luke Skywalker whirls around, one hand on the edge of his doorframe. His blue eyes seem to glow in the dim light of the evening, alight with simmering anger that dwells deep inside his soul, as if he’s struggling to keep it hidden, but is bared to her all the same. 

There’s something else; it takes her a moment to realise it’s exhaustion, heavy and deadly, and it hangs onto every line that shows across his face. “I can’t,” he says in a low voice, and Rey doesn’t do anything as she merely stands there, five feet away from him, the first hint of helplessness creeping into her chest. “I’m sorry, kid, but I can’t. I don’t do that anymore.”

It shouldn’t be like this. Luke Skywalker shouldn’t look so defeated, as if it pains him to even say those words to her.

Rey swallows quietly, taking a step forward. She holds out the lightsaber in her hand. Luke snaps his eyes towards it, his gaze hardening. 

“You have to,” Rey pleads. “Master Skywalker, you’re my only hope.”

It has to be the wrong words, and she’s screwed this up big time when she sees the way he snaps his head up to look at her, shock spilling onto his face like a splatter of blood. 

Rey sucks in a regrettable breath. “Master Skywalker—“

She doesn’t have the chance to say anything else when he whips around and slams the door to her face.

* * *

She’s tried everything. 

It’s been three days, and she’s been following wherever Luke Skywalker goes as he blatantly ignores her advances. Or her existence for that matter.

She lessens her questions on day two, where she doesn’t even get so much of a grunt of reply when radio silence fills in the space between them. He seems content at that, and it makes his duty to make sure her presence isn’t in his way all the more easier. 

He does his chores with Rey on his heels, because while he’s already given up on her, she isn’t about to give up on them. 

She _knows_ he’s the one who’s supposed to train her. She knows, and she’s pretty sure _he_ knows, but he just doesn’t care anymore.

So, she waits. She watches him catch giant fishes and talk with the locals about their stock. She watches him meditate at the far end of the cliff and lets the world swim by. She waits, and she waits, until she’s afraid that she can do nothing but wait.

Time passes longer than it should. Anything could have happened to the Resistance if she doesn’t do anything now, and she needs some help.

It has her storming to the Falcon, hoping that the communications are working when they’re in the middle of nowhere.

As she fears, there’s nothing that would allow her to reach out to Leia. Rey is left sitting in the cockpit, slumped against the pilot’s seat as she rushes to think of anything that would allow her to get in touch with the General. 

Chewie walks through the doorway and slumps on the seat beside her. He inquires with a low growl of curiosity.

Rey sighs. “I don’t know, Chewie. I’m trying to get to Leia, but there’s nothing there.”

Until one idea comes to mind.

It’s a long shot, and the rumours that have been going around about how General Organa isn’t much different from her brother is the only foundation that has Rey scrambling to straighten up her posture. 

It happens to be her _only_ shot, but there’s nothing Rey can do to convince Luke to teach her unless she does _this._

Closing her eyes, Rey takes a deep breath. She unclenches the tension from her jaw, loosens her shoulders, and frees her mind of Luke Skywalker, of all her frustrations and thinning patience.

Then, she reaches out.

* * *

It’s later that night, and Rey’s sitting on one of the smooth boulders that faces Luke’s hut, staring at the lightsaber in her hands as the sound of waves hum from the seas. 

It’s been relatively chilly that day after the rain poured heavily upon them, pelting against the huts and the thin robe she wears when she follows Luke hike his way around the island, as if that dreadfully wet and slippery day could shake her off. She’s lost him twice before she catches up on him again, and by then, he’s already settled himself on one of the tall rocks that requires him to look down at her with a blank expression.

She stares back at him, expectant. 

He only answers with a scowl before he jumps down, rushing back to his hut and never going out again.

Rey sighs, tilting her head to the skies and letting her eyes closed. She lets the night breeze blow away some of the anxiety that’s starting to fester under her ribcage, reminding her just how little time she has left when there are people who are depending on her, who are depending on what wild dream she’s been chasing for almost a week.

She’ll give it another day; if Luke Skywalker still refuses to teach her the way of the Jedi, then she has to go back to the Resistance and help them defeat the First Order. She can’t dwindle any longer than she already has. They need her help.

She rolls her neck, trying to get rid of the kinks, when she hears something faint rumbling in the distance.

And it’s coming from above her.

When Rey opens her eyes, the first thing she zeroes on is the gunship that’s getting nearer by the second, and it has her immediately skipping to her feet.

Leia’s answer comes _fast._

The gunship circles around the island before it carefully lowers itself down to land beside the Falcon. Rey runs over to the ship with hope burning in her lungs; _finally,_ she thinks. Thank Maker for Leia.

The owner of the gunship walks down the ramp, and Rey jogs the rest of the way just when she’s near enough to meet this person Leia has sent to help Rey with her Luke Problem.

She slides into a halt when she realises that her saviour is a Mandalorian. He’s fully decked in his armour, the silver surface gleaming despite the poor light of the bonfire that comes from the direction of the village. A spear is trapped to his back, a blaster and what look like a saber hilt hooked to his hip.

His visor meets her gaze the moment he’s standing at the bottom of the ramp. She can feel the way he scrutinises her despite the helmet that covers his face, as if he’s trying to gauge her character after forcing him to fly all the way to this part of the Unknown Region.

She meets his obvious stare head on. “Did General Organa send you?”

The Mandalorian steps off the ship fully and begins shortening the distance between them. Rey holds her ground; she’s heard all about Mandalorians and what they do. It doesn’t help with the fact that Luke has people wanting to kill him for a long time, as well. Having two of them in one place just begs for something bad to happen.

However, she’s ready to take this one down if he isn’t authorised to be on the island.

The Mandalorian stops in front of her. “She did,” he answers, and she takes note of the fact he sounds older than she first suspected. “She also told me about how you needed my help.”

“I needed Leia’s help,” she corrects him. “I didn’t know she’d sent a Mandalorian to take her place.”

“She’s a little busy. I’m all you got.” He surveys the clearing, trying to search for something. “Where is he?”

Rey eyes him for a moment. “Luke Skywalker?”

“Yes,” he answers, and when he meets her wary look, he sighs. “I wouldn’t come to this backwater planet if it wasn’t for him. I’m doing you a favour. Now, tell me where he is. Is he at home?”

She turns towards the direction where Luke’s hut would be. “He is. He’s been cooped up in there ever since he made me walk around the island with him this evening. He hasn’t come out since.”

The Mandalorian sighs again, and this time, his resignation is apparent. “Why am I not surprised?” he mutters. Without another glance at her way, he steps around her and makes his way towards Luke’s hut.

“He doesn't accept any visitors,” Rey warns him, easily keeping up with his steady pace as they both climb up the hill. The Lanai, who are curious at the presence of the Mandalorian, peek through the windows of their home to watch them. Rey gives them a wave of greeting and a smile of reassurance.

“I know that.”

“And he’s been,” She scrunches her mouth to the side, dropping her hand to the side. “Difficult.”

To her surprise, he lets out a huff of breathless chuckles. “I know that, too.”

Rey squints at him. “Who are you, exactly?”

He doesn’t reply, silently moving forward, and before she knows it, they’re already in front of Luke’s door. The Mandalorian lifts his hand and raps his gloved knuckles against it.

“Give it up, kid,” Luke’s muffled voice filters through the wooden barrier. “Didn’t the seven hour hike give you a hint?”

Rey turns to the Mandalorian with arched eyebrows, jabbing a thumb at the closed door. “You see what I have to deal with?”

The Mandalorian doesn’t reply to that, knocking on the door again. 

“Go away.”

That only earns another knock from the Mandalorian.

There’s a grunt, and a loud scrape of a chair being dragged across the stoned floor. 

And then, the door swings open, with Luke opening his mouth to no doubt tell her off, when he freezes at the sight of the Mandalorian. 

“You gotta be kidding me.” Luke blurts out, burning a hole into the middle of his new visitor’s head with a vicious frown.

The Mandalorian tilts his head to the side. “Luke.”

“Din,” Luke deadpans. Then, he slashes his glare towards Rey, who roots herself to the ground and meets his scorching look without a flinch. “Did you bring him here?”

“Leia did,” Din cuts in before she can reply. “She said you needed some help, and she’s a little busy with the Resistance to finally visit you after you dropped off the face of the galaxy for ten years,” A hint of sarcasm drips in his tone. “So, I agreed to take her place.”

“And now you’re here,” Luke clutches his hip, not looking away from Rey. “Very convenient.”

“It is.” Din agrees readily, as if he knows how this works already. “Well, can we come in?”

Luke snaps his gaze to him. 

There’s a moment when both men stare at each other, both of them stubborn and not wanting to back down — Rey’s left standing at the side with an awkwardness she doesn’t want to feel, as if she’s intruding on something personal, something she doesn’t even want to know. Because there’s history there, and it’s thick and crackling with tension that someone might lose their fingers if they think of touching it.

With a heavy, heavy sigh, Luke finally gives in, stepping to the side to make way for the two of them. “Come on.”

The decorations are the same as the hut Rey is staying in, but the place is only slightly bigger. A bed sits at one side of the hut, while a round table is pushed at the other end, with two stools facing each other. There’s a small bonfire alive in the middle of the clearing, allowing the place to stay warm and cosy. Books are piled on top of the table, volumes of them opened and turned to the pages Luke’s been reading before he’s been interrupted; there are even some stacked on his bed, just as unkempt as the ones on the table.

Luke sits on one of the stools, back pressed to the wall as he faces them. If he isn’t happy before, he just looks plain irritated now. “What are you doing here, Din?”

“I told you, Leia said you needed my help,” Din looks around the place, and it’s hard to know what he’s thinking when Rey can’t see anything with that helmet in place. 

“I did not tell her that,” Luke shoots a look at Rey, who softly clears her throat and starts to busy herself with one of the books that’s sprawled open on the mattress. “And I certainly don’t need any help.”

“I can see that,” Din replies. He lets himself face Luke properly, who’s meeting his visor again with the same exhaustion hanging below his eyes. “You probably don’t need my help, but this kid needs yours.”

“I’m not doing it,” Luke says flatly, while Rey looks up from the handwritten text the moment she’s being addressed. “I told Rey this, and I’m telling you this now. _Again_. I’m not taking in another student. And you know damn well why.”

“And I’m telling you again what I told you before,” Din steps forward until he joins Luke at the other side of the small table, where his bulky armour takes up most of the space as he leans forward to get his attention. “That all that’s happened before wasn’t your fault. It never was. And now, another Jedi is asking for your help, and you know you can’t turn her away.”

“I live here so that I can avoid that, you know,” Luke lets his gaze flicker towards Rey for a moment, before they are directed back to Din again. “But instead, they come to me.”

“And at the same time, you avoided me, too.”

For the first time since Rey met him, she watches the way Luke’s expression soften. “You’re still mad at that?”

“What do you think?” Din leans back, taking him in as he considers something. “Grogu’s a little pissed off at you for not contacting him for the past ten years, Luke. Said something along those lines of us dying in another ten of those years when he has another eight hundred more or so to live on.”

“Can’t help it that we have shorter life spans,” Luke snorts. “I konk out tomorrow and the kid’s gonna have a hissy fit that I won’t be alive to see him? He should be grateful, because my spirit’s gonna be up and running with his little missions in the future.”

“I’m sorry,” Rey speaks up, feeling extremely confused by this whole conversation they’re having as if she isn’t in the same room with them. “Who is this Grogu?”

“My son,” Luke replies offhandedly. “He was a student of mine, and he was appointed Jedi Knight before I left.”

Rey gapes at him. “Your son—“

“He was my son first,” Din clicks his tongue in disapproval. “And now, he keeps coming over to Mandalore to vent because you’re hiding so well in your little escape island. It’s driving him nuts.”

Luke cocks up an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, did he disturb your kingly duties?”

“I’d be more happy if you just come home with me.”

“So that I’d be your trophy husband who stands there to look pretty? No thanks.”

“If anything, it’s the other way round.”

Rey looks between them, and there’s— there’s something _giddy_ there, right in the middle of her chest. And dank farrik. _Dank farrik_. What the _hell._ This changes a lot of things. “I didn't know you were married, Master Skywalker.”

“No one knows,” Luke tells her meaningfully. “And we’d like to keep it that way until we both die.”

Din looks at her, and this time, she can feel the fond exasperation coming off him in trickles. “And people say he’s the romantic one.”

Rey doesn’t even know this is even remotely possible. It’s like finding a whole First Order ship crashed on Jakku, just begging for her to scale through the ship and sell some parts. “So, you two eloped?”

“Yes,” And Luke's back to being annoyed at her once again. “We eloped.”

“Huh.” Rey says, mind thinking of Finn and Poe. “Is there a chance that I can marry two people at the same time?”

Both men stare at her in silence. Then, Luke lifts his hands in surrender. “You can do whatever you want, kid. I married the Mand’alor, so I don’t think I have a say on whether or not you can marry two other people.”

Din lets out a soft scoff. “You say that as if it’s a bad thing.”

“I can do whatever I want,” she repeats, leveling her gaze with Luke. “If that’s the case, I want you to teach me the way of the Jedi.”

The corners of his lips pull down. “I just said—“

“Rey, is it?” Din cuts him off, causing Luke to give him a side eye. “Is it okay if I talk to Luke for a second? I just need a few moments of his time.”

This is it, she realises. Someone to knock some sense into this old Jedi.

Rey nods, hope flickering in her heart. “I’ll wait outside.”

* * *

The moment Rey shuts the door behind her, Luke swivels onto Din, pointing a finger at him. “Stop it.”

Din reaches out and grips onto the offending finger before he pulls it towards his chest, nestling it between his warm palms. That’s completely unfair, trying to distract Luke like that. “Stop what?”

“Whatever you’re thinking of doing,” Luke locks his jaw, refusing to fold, even if Din has just enveloped his hands around his own. “Stop it,”

“She seems pretty desperate,” Din points out.

“She can be desperate all she wants, but she can’t get me to train her,” Luke gruffs out, wiggling the finger trapped under Din’s light grasp. “Make Grogu train her or something.”

“She came to you specifically, Luke. And it looks like she’s not leaving soon.”

“She has to,” Luke feels his shoulders slump, and the hand Din’s been pressing against his chest slacks in his hold. “The Resistance needs her.”

He’s been thinking about it the whole time the kid is here on Ahch-To with him; she should be trying to find someone else, someone more capable, and there _are_ other Jedi to train her. But, they’re probably hiding better than Luke is, if Rey and Chewie are able to find her. And now, Din.

Din gives his hand a squeeze before he gently puts it down. He reaches up and presses his fingers on each side of his helmet, and tugs it off that the familiar sharp _hiss_ breathes into the space between them.

His hair and beard has gotten as white as snow, even if the curls that flop onto his forehead remain the same. There are extra lines stretching out at the corner of his eyes, making him look older than the last time Luke sees him. The shape of his lips are the same, and the deep brown eyes he’s affiliated himself with finally meets his own.

Din offers him a tiny smile, one that has the old ache Luke has been pushing away to come back up again. “She needs you.”

“You know,” Luke makes himself stare at the helmet by his elbow. “Showing me your face isn’t going to make me do it.”

“ _Cyar’ika_ ,” Din admonishes him gently.

And it’s the endearment that does it, really, melting the trembling walls he obstinately puts up. Luke has always been weak when Din says it to him, even if years have passed since the first time he’s let it slip between them. It never gets old. “I know deep in your heart that you want to train her,” Din continues. “And I know you never turn away anyone who really wants to learn.”

Luke sighs; he’s tired. He’s absolutely and thoroughly _tired_. “I don’t want it to happen again. I don’t want her to get hurt.”

“I know you don’t,” Din agrees. “But I have to tell you this again — it’s not your fault what happened in the past. You tried to save your students, tried to stop Ben, and the important thing is that you’ve done everything you could to prevent it.”

“But it wasn’t enough,” Luke mutters, eyes downcast. “It never seems enough. I failed as a teacher, and I failed as a Jedi.”

He feels a brush of fingers against the edge of his jaw, prompting Luke to lift his gaze and look at Din. “You don’t think you’re worthy of this since you’re shouldering all the blame that isn’t even yours to carry.” Din light chuffs his chin with the back of his finger, offering him another smile. “And it’s not. You have to put it down now.”

Luke takes his hand, letting his thumb caress over the familiar bumps and nooks of his bones. He drops a kiss onto his knuckles. “It’s not that easy.”

“Nothing is ever easy,” Din says, and Luke’s starting to think all the Jedi stuff has rubbed on him too much if he’s starting to talk like him. “You just do it.”

Luke gives him a weak smile. “That’s been your motto for your whole life, huh?”

“Even before I met you,” Din chuckles, leaning over the small table to let his forehead tap against Luke’s.

They don’t move away from each other, and Luke realises he misses this, he misses Din, and he misses their days together alone, doing something for the day or absolutely nothing at all. He misses their talks, their banter, their sparring sessions, the way they lay down together in bed. He misses everything that is Din Djarin; Mand’alor, father, husband, and for the first time in a long while, Luke can feel himself _breathe_.

Luke tangles their fingers together. “Alright,” he murmurs. “I’ll train her.”

Din lets his nose brush against his. “I always have faith in you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I currently have a hundred and thirty-six missed calls, and three hundred and sixty-nine messages in the past couple of weeks I was here. Half of those are from Bo-Katan.”
> 
> “She’s furious.” Luke smirks. “Djarin, you’re so dead.”
> 
> “It’s not her I’m worried about,” Din says meaningfully, and Luke freezes in his tracks, staring at him as horror sinks deep inside his core.
> 
> Oh no. Oh, no no no no.
> 
> “Please tell me the rest of those messages are from Boba,” Luke says weakly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of y’all think that Luke didn’t get to meet Grogu because he died later. That’s simply not true, how dare you imply that anyone dies here. I was getting distraught with how y’all commented on the last chapter about Luke “”dying”” that I wrote this one. Listen. _Listen._ If I can make Din and Luke get married, then I can make Luke stay alive and see his son. No one dies in this story, baby, come get y’all juice. 
> 
> Fun fact: Yoda became a Jedi Master at 100 years old. So, I thought at 70, Grogu would’ve already become a Jedi Knight, which stretches until at this timeline, where he is 80. And I made Grogu talk like Yoda, FYI.
> 
> Also, this is from Luke’s POV now. Enjoy!

Luke doesn’t know what to expect, really. 

When he finally does agree to train her, he worries that it’ll take longer than it should; it’ll be harder for her to adapt to the nature of the Force because she’s so much older than one should be when they are first trained. Older people tend to be doubtful of their capabilities, questioning every little aspect that happens just when they’re about to act on their thought, and so hampering their ability to grow.

Younglings think differently. They see a world without the filter of fear, their realities unaffected by what goggles the outside party have put in front of their eyes. They do whatever the hell they want, and are able to be easily guided to the right path.

That isn’t to say that training younglings has been a smooth ride either, but Luke knows that sometimes, when he can’t help but bend the rules a bit, a cookie would always make their little frowns switch around so quickly.

He tries not to think of fire and scorched buildings, of the dark skies clouded with ash. 

It’s easier to remember their smiles, their ‘Thank you, Master Luke’s’, their blinding joy at getting something right.

But, there’s not much difference with Rey, he supposes. Sure, she doesn’t get a cookie when the first attempt fails her, but he sees the same sparkle in her eyes when she _does_ get it right. There’s the same enthusiasm too, the need to continue and learn and to adamantly follow his footsteps that it’s refreshing to be near this kind of energy again; she wants to _learn_ , and Luke will give it to her.

And God. _God._ Din is so damn smug about it.

Luke can _feel_ the Mandalorian practically grinning underneath that tin can of his while he watches them both meditate on day number four. 

It’s like he doesn’t have anything else better to do. Like ruling a whole planet.

Rey shifts beside him, clearly feeling the same pleased feeling coming out in waves, and dammit Din, you’re disrupting the class here. 

“Just ignore him,” Luke says, eyes closed, body relaxed. Rey immediately stiffens at getting caught moving. “Just— Really, ignore him.”

“Why does he feel like he’s won a million credits?” She asks, and Luke feels his concentration splinters when a bark of laughter escapes.

He clears his throat, feeling her wide-eyed look on him. “Where did you think he got that armour, kiddo?”

Her shock whips towards the Mandalorian who is sitting ten feet behind them. “That costs a _million_ credits?”

“Well, I’m not sure it’s that much but— wait, _hey,”_ He elbows her arm.

“Ow!” She protests, rubbing the spot he jabbed with his pointy elbow. 

“ _Focus,_ ” Luke cracks an eye open to glare at her with it. “Do you wanna learn or not?”

“I _do_ , but Din’s just sitting _there_ —“

“Like I said, _ignore him_ ,” Luke huffs, closing his eyes again. He can feel Rey settling properly again, grumbling under her breath. “This is what control is. It’s letting the world around you melt away that you’re able to let the Force through. You'd be able to feel the way it settles in every life form there is, and pick out how each of them is different from the other.”

There’s a moment of silence when Rey does just as he’s requested. He feels himself exhaling a deep breath. There. That’s not so bad now, is it?

She probably would’ve agreed with him, probably wanted to, but then, she shifts in her place again. Luke can feel her focus shuddering like a piece of thin plastic, _fwump-fwump-fwump_ -ing as if it is disturbed by the wind that is the sheer energy of Din’s insufferable behaviour from where he’s right behind them. 

Luke can’t blame her, really. The man’s a walking beam light within the Force and he’s blinding them both on purpose.

Luke sighs, and turns around. “Do you mind?”

Din has the audacity to tilt his head to the side. “Not at all.”

Luke rolls his eyes. “You’re all puffed out like a loth cat who got his cream, and you’re distracting our lesson. Go be smug somewhere else.”

“I wasn't being smug.”

“We could _feel_ you.”

Din stares at them for a moment, before he sighs. Exaggeratingly, Luke might add. “Fine.” 

Then, there’s a series of grunts when Din pushes himself up from the ground, using the spear as a cane to assist him to a stand. He rubs his knee. “I’m getting too old for this.”

“Why were you even sitting on the ground in the first place?” Luke tuts, but there’s no stopping the way warmth spreads throughout his chest as he watches Din rearrange his spine with a hand on his back. He twists his body to the side, and his bones pop back into place.

Rey grimaces. 

Well, she certainly hasn’t seen Din twist Luke’s head to get rid of the nagging kink in his neck. The first time he does it in front of people, blasters are shot out, and there is screaming.

“There are no chairs here,” Din says simply, as if this island has even any resemblance of a seat left behind. 

There’s a reason why Luke chooses this planet the way it is; It’s because it’s _barren_. Of course it is. Why would there even be nature-made chairs? Or one that’s conjured up by the universe the moment they say they want it? The universe doesn’t love them _that_ much. Or _at all_ , honestly, for the past thirty or so years they’ve been together.

Is Mother Nature going to see them go old and grunting about knee and back pains and take pity? Of course not. Luke’s just waiting for the day Mother Nature trips them both to their deaths.

“You’re the Mand’alor, you can find your own chair.” Luke says.

Din actually looks around.

Incredible. This is why Luke married him.

“Just,” Luke waves him away. “Go back to the hut and get warm. I know cold places like this makes your knees go rusty.”

“I’m far from rusty,” Din harrumphs, but he’s already turning around, actually following Luke’s advice. Even if he doesn’t look like it, his knees must really hurt, if he’s willing to listen to Luke with minimal arguing.

Luke sighs, and focuses back on their lesson. He finds Rey looking at him with the same enchanted look since she found out that both he and Din are married. It’s honestly making Luke shift in _his_ place to be looked at with so many stars bouncing off her eyes. “What?”

Rey blinks. “Nothing.” 

Then, she’s facing the sea again from where they’re perched on the edge of the cliff, resting her hands on her knees. “So. I focus. I reach out to the Force. And…?”

“You feel it, reach for it. Shake its hand. Give it a little hello.” 

“So, acknowledge it.”

“Didn’t I just say that?”

* * *

Luke makes her do the Classic Handstand.

But, he can’t sit on her feet, so he settles on one of the smooth boulders that’s actually comfortable enough to be on for a long period of time. 

There are four other boulders in front of her, and she’s stacking them one by one with sweat dripping down her nose, her mouth stretching into that almost permanent grimace.

It’s the blood sloshing around in the head. Luke knows, he can’t say he pities her for feeling the same thing he did all those years ago, but at least she doesn’t have her master sitting on her _while_ she does a handstand.

“While it’s good that you have your attention on stacking them up,” Luke starts, pressing his thumb and forefinger together. “Start stretching out your focus. Feel everything around you instead of honing on those boulders only.”

Rey grimaces harder, arms shaking from holding up her weight for so long, but closes her eyes to do what he says.

Luke feels him before he can see him when Din joins him on his flat rock. He passes the mug to him, and Din holds his helmet back enough to take a sip. “How’s she doing?”

“Okay, so far. No one puked yet.”

“I remember that,” Din winces with sympathy before dropping his helmet back down. “Poor kid had some of it entering his nose.”

“I did tell them that they shouldn’t eat anything before that,” Luke remembers it to be messy. Everyone could see that the kid had snooped around in the pantry for extra cookies. Rainbow colours after it has been digested is, to this day, not a pretty colour. “I had to mop the floor because _you_ had cold feet.”

“I was cleaning up the kid, he was crying because he embarrassed himself. Someone had to help him, and cheer him up a little.”

“Yeah. By giving him _another cookie_ after puking the other ones out.”

Biggest mistake of his life because the kid puked again. Luke made him mop the second time.

“Did _she_ eat anything?”

“I don’t have extra cookies for her to steal.”

“If you two are done talking about kids barfing,” Rey speaks up, eyes still closed, when she stacks the last boulder on the top. “That’ll be great.”

“You still haven’t picked anything else up other than those boulders.” Luke points out. 

“See if you can pick up anything else when you have a couple of old men near you talking about puking kids,” Rey grumbles, scrunching her eyes harder as she tries to concentrate.

“What the—“ Din flays, the beverage sloshing threateningly over the brim of the mug. “Kid, dank farrik— put me _down_.”

Luke grins at the floating Mandalorian in delight. “Hey, you got it!”

“Of all things you wanted to try your wizard powers on,” Din swears under his breath, and it’s funny, because it’s clear he’s overdue with a Pick Me Up from Luke’s students after being stupidly pompous the whole time he’s there with them. Serves him right. “There are rocks around you. Use those. And put me down _, now._ ”

Rey gently lowers him back on their rock. Luke is proud of her, incredibly so. He hasn’t felt this way for a while, and it’s bound to make his head dizzy some time. “Good, good. Now, try something else.”

“Can’t I take a break?” She huffs out, shuffling in place. 

“Nope,” he tells her cheerily, lips popping at the last syllable. He’s excited there’s progress, and it doesn’t matter Din is still miffed he’s used as a training object. There’s _progress_ , and that’s what’s important. “Take out your arm and do one handstand. Lay the boulders out in front of you while you’re at it. And— oh, wait.”

Luke stands up and looks around. He picks the five slabs of the rocks that are the size of his head with the Force and lets them float to where she is. He drops them on the soles of her feet, causing her to grunt at the added weight.

“Now, lay out the boulders,” Luke turns around and rejoins Din on their rock.

Rey releases a sigh, but does as she’s told.

Din passes back the mug. Luke looks at it and finds it’s empty. “Boba sends his regards.”

“No, he doesn’t,” Luke replies, setting the mug between them.

“He did. And he kept telling me that whatever entity in charge of the universe won’t let him die.”

“Wow.” Luke watches Din shrug. “That bad?”

“He’s…tired.”

“He’s older than both of us, of course he’s tired.”

“Boba doesn’t like that I have people looking after him. He says it’s delaying his death.” Din sighs. “He keeps saying he’s sorry, though. So I don’t know which one I should be worried about.”

Luke knows that Boba would rather go back to the sarlacc pit than admit such a thing out loud. But, it’s in his actions, Luke supposes. Boba’s more open that way. 

Anyway, after Boba decides to move back and forth from Tatooine and Mandalore in order to give counsel to Din _alongside_ Bo-Katan, Luke thinks anything’s possible now.

“If I go back to Mandalore, do you think that’ll speed up the process?”

Din snaps a look at him. Luke waves it away. “He’ll be grateful, trust me.”

“Are you even considering going back to Mandalore?” Din questions, and he’s more suspicious than he’s ought to be.

“Nope,” Luke says in the same cheery tone. “I’d rather die on my stone island of hell.”

Din hums. “Then, Boba’s not gonna be happy to know that he’s got a few more years in him.” 

* * *

Din stares at them both. “I don’t recall this to be a part of their training.”

“It’s new,” Luke informs him just as they pass by. He tightens his arms around Rey’s neck, but not hard enough to choke her, while she avoids a hole in the ground by jumping over it. Luke feels his back teeth collide against each other when they drop back down.

“She’s strong,” Din calls out, and is that admiration in his tone?

Of course it is. Strong women have been helping him survive in half of this lifetime.

“She is!” Luke yells back. Rey grunts.

“Master Skywalker, don’t shout in my ear, please.”

“Sorry.”

Luke’s been telling her stories during his youthful days of training and how he had to carry Yoda on his back while running around Dagobah. It’s supposed to be a funny story because hey, he had a swamp cat on his back. Like a mini backpack. Because Yoda is basically backpack size.

He half-expects Master Yoda to materialise into existence right then and start hitting him with his cane.

But then, Rey’s eyes flash and she says, “I can do that.”

Luke, confused and slightly alarmed, stares at her. “Do what?”

“Come on,” They’ve been sitting at their normal place on the cliff, meditating like they always do, when she turns her back to him. “Get on.”

_What._

“Are you serious?” What is this kid thinking? He’s not a hundred and thirty pounds anymore.

“Yeah, come on,” She peeks over her shoulder, and— 

Oh, she’s actually serious. It’s in the genuine smile she tosses at him. It actually makes him feel guilty for questioning her.

Luke studies her for a while. He doesn’t want to be the cause of regrets. Like knee pain, or a slipped disc. “Are you sure?”

“If you’re worried about how I could drop you or anything, it’s okay. I’ve carried larger and heavier things before and didn’t fall down. Anyway,” She shrugs. “I had practice with BB-8.”

“Who’s BB-8?”

“Poe’s droid. He likes to jump on people.”

“I see.” 

Rey pauses, brow furrowing. “Bb-8, I mean. Who likes to jump on people. Not Poe.”

“Of course.”

If there’s anything Luke learned from the time Rey tells him about her two boyfriends and their pet droid with hearts in her eyes, is that said droid actually weighs as heavy as any person. 

If Rey has practiced in catching droids launching themselves at her, then Luke thinks it’s okay. He’s carried Artoo before to know how it feels like.

In the end, that’s how he finds himself that morning; on his student’s back while she runs around the island for her daily exercise. There’s wind in his hair and the extra height actually makes everything feel great. 

She’s also freakishly strong for someone who looks lean, but it’s not his place to judge. He can see how Leia likes her enough to send her some help in the form of his husband immediately after Rey tattles on him.

“Lanai up front,” Luke points out, and Rey swerves to the right to avoid the local fisherman before going back on track.

* * *

It’s been two weeks since Luke trains her, and he’s starting to see how she’s vibrating in her own bones with restlessness.

“What’s wrong?” He asks.

Rey sighs, mouth opening to say something, when the combat remote zaps her in the hand in her distraction.

She exclaims, flapping her hand at the sting. Luke waves a hand and the remote shuts down.

Something is really wrong, because there’s heavy worry dragging onto her face the moment she takes off the helmet. She doesn’t even meet his eye as she stares down at it, and switches off the lightsaber with her other hand.

Luke patiently waits for her to say something, because it’s obvious she does have something to say, from the way the air around her just barely shifts with something humid.

“I should go back,” she says quietly, and Luke frowns. 

“You’re not done yet.”

“I know, but I feel like something bad is going to happen soon, and they need my help.”

“You’re barely ready,” Luke tells her, because he gets it, he really does, but he now knows better, too. He ignored Master Yoda’s advice once, and look where that’s gotten him. He can’t have her go through the same fate with reckless abandon. “You can’t go yet. There’s so much more that you need to learn.”

“And I will, I promise,” she says, and when she looks up to meet his eyes, there’s barely restrained fear in them. Luke feels his breath shudder out of his chest. “But, I need to help them, Master Skywalker. They need me.”

Not another one. Great Masters of the Old, not another one. Fear did what it had done the first time, and Luke isn’t going to have fear make the same mistake again.

“Rey,” he says softly, taking a step forward. “Rey, I know what you’re feeling right now. But if you leave this island before you finish your training, dire consequences could happen. And I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’m more worried about how my absence will affect the people who counted on me,” she says. “They need me, they’ve always needed me. And I can’t abandon them, not now, not when I can hear them crying for help.”

Luke can see the familiar determination hardening in her gaze. He knows how he has already lost.

“Your teachings have already done everything they could to help me,” she continues. “But, even if they don’t seem enough to you, they’re enough for me to help the people for now. I’ll come back to you, Master Skywalker. I promise.”

Luke lowers himself on the boulder. She’s coming back, she says. She’ll come back to train with him. And Luke trusts her to do so.

But, there’s no stopping how his lungs feel like they’re constricting in his chest.

He’s worried, he’s so worried about her because he doesn't know what would happen if she leaves this island without the proper preparation. He’s scared that he’s unable to stop a death like he’s done with so many others before her.

But— But.

He trusts her, he trusts her judgement. He knows she’s strong, and he knows she’ll keep her word.

“Alright,” he murmurs, and she straightens into attention. “But, promise me you’ll come back. Promise me that once you’ve done what you could over there, you immediately make your way here.”

She smiles, and he can’t do anything when she steps forward and bends down to give him a crushing hug. He’s startled, hand hanging uselessly on his sides.

But then, he reaches up and wraps them around her, and squeezes her back.

“You can bring your boyfriends,” he relents, and she lets out a laugh that has him smiling against her shoulder. “Maybe your droid, too.”

“But, only if they don’t make any noise and distract your training.

* * *

“Are you going back to Mandalore now?” Luke asks the person beside him, watching the Falcon fly further away into the atmosphere.

“Not yet.”

Luke turns to look at Din in question. “Who’s gonna look after that place if you’re here?”

“I have many trusting advisors,” Din meets his gaze. “And I think they can handle me being unavailable for a while.”

Luke narrows his eyes. “How long is a while?”

“Until she gets back, at least.”

Huh. If Luke knew better, he’d say that Din is running away from something, like said advisors who would no doubt give him an earful if they take wind at where he currently is. That is to say if they _can_ find his little island.

But, two ships have already landed on Ahch-To when he least expected it. What’s to say a third one won’t, just for the charm?

“You’re running away from them, aren’t you?” Luke accuses him. “Do they even know you’re not there?”

“I left a note.” 

“A n— what’s a note gonna do to stop them from yelling at you?”

“It doesn’t,” Din states, and both of them walk back towards their hut. “I currently have a hundred and thirty-six missed calls, and three hundred and sixty-nine messages in the past couple of weeks I was here. Half of those are from Bo-Katan.”

“She’s _furious_.” Luke smirks. “Djarin, you’re so dead.”

“It’s not her I’m worried about,” Din says meaningfully, and Luke freezes in his tracks, staring at him as horror sinks deep inside his core.

Oh no. Oh, no no no no.

“Please tell me the rest of those messages are from Boba,” Luke says weakly, because shit, if what Din says is true—

Luke doesn’t even want to think about it.

“Or from anyone else, really,” Luke grabs his arm when Din doesn’t immediately reply. “ _Din_.”

“He’s been calling,” Din says, and he keeps walking, dragging Luke along with him, and he knows he’s not talking about Boba Fett and, what. _What._

Luke can already _feel_ the slanted glare he’ll get stabbed with later.

That is to say, if Din doesn’t snitch on him and tell Grogu where they are, Luke won’t get the Look of Death.

“Please tell me you didn’t tell him where we are,” he pleads miserably.

Din only walks on, but swerves to the right and avoids the hut entirely. Luke scampers on and holds onto his arm like a lifeline.

“ _Din_ ,” Luke groans, following him. “I swear, if he kills me because of you, I’ll haunt you until you’re on life support.”

“He doesn’t do that.”

Luke is dead meat. He lets go of Din and shoves his hair back. “I’m gonna need something to drink.”

* * *

It’s exactly twenty-four hours later that he hears the roar of an engine.

Luke snaps his head up from where he’s been nose deep in the sacred texts, and Din meets his panicked look with a lazy turn of his head from where he’s sitting on the opposite side of the small round table.

The bastard already has his body facing the door while he’s going through his messages.

Luke slams his book shut. “You didn’t tell me he’s coming today,” he hisses out, eyeing the window. If he escapes now, no one can chase him. He’ll hide out in one of the caves if he has to.

Din shrugs, and deletes one of Koska’s messages without even opening it. Bo-Katan probably used her commlink after Din had been ignoring her for so long. “I did say he was coming.”

“No, no. No, you absolutely did not,” Luke puts aside the book and stands up. “If he asks, I’m not here—“

A knock on the door cuts him off.

Luke clamps his mouth shut.

For a moment, no one says a thing, staring at the door as it silently stands there, mocking and taunting, and being the only barrier that separates them and the person outside.

Exactly ten seconds later, there’s another knock.

Din stares expectantly at him, one eyebrow arched up.

Luke flares his nostrils indignantly.

No, screw you, You Royal Highness. Luke’s not about to make himself walk into a death trap that would have him saddled with guilt for the rest of his life—

Another ten seconds later, another knock raps against the door.

Din sighs quietly, and pushes himself up to a stand while Luke itches to the window. 

He’s almost there, so close that he could hold onto the ledge and swiftly throw himself out—

Din swings the door open, and standing there with a relatively blank look on his face, is none other than Grogu.

“ _Buir_ ,” he greets Din, something soft in his expression.

Then, his gaze immediately zeroes on Luke.

Luke stiffens, pinned into place.

Grogu’s eyes narrow. “Master.”

Luke winces at the same time Din does. 

Oh, wow, it’s like Grogu personally took Din’s spear and hurled it into his chest without a flicker of remorse. 

Favouritism is a bitch.

Not that Luke can blame him. Din isn’t the one who vanished into thin air.

“Grogu,” Din greets him with a smile, walking to the side and letting their new guest walk in. “You got my coordinates.”

“A long ride, it was,” Grogu informs him, standing by the bed. “Shake off the First Order, I had.”

Din frowns, closing the door again. “They followed you here?”

“No, they did not. Where I have gone, they don’t know.” Grogu settles an empty look on Luke. “Like the rest of us do, so it seems. It appears that I’ve lost into the unknown, they would think.”

This is the kind of guilt he’s been talking about.

It’s big and swallows him whole, but Luke defends himself that he does it for the best of everyone. Does it for himself. No one needs a broken Jedi.

Luke swallows a sigh, and gestures towards the chair he’s been occupying until just now. “Have a seat. It looks like we need to talk.”

Grogu’s eyes flashes. “Those are the first words you have spoken to me,” he says flatly, ignoring his hospitality entirely. “Ten years has it been, hmm, Father?”

Now, he’s just being snarky. Good god, Luke doesn’t want to be lectured by his own son. He really, really doesn’t, but he knows he owes Grogu that, the very least. After, you know, not leaving a note to where he’s going, or how he’s left his commlink back at his destroyed temple. 

He knows what that looks to other people, knows that has to be the shittiest decision he’s made, but he can’t handle this.

He can’t handle Grogu looking at him like he’s been betrayed in the worst way possible.

And maybe he has.

Luke swallows down another sigh, and leans against the wall beside the window. “It has.”

Grogu still doesn’t move from his place near the bed, posture relaxed, hands folded in front of him, eyes only on Luke while he only stares back. 

Din has already settled back in his chair, commlink left on the table as he focuses on both of them.

The silence that fills in the place would’ve been suffocating if Din isn’t there to act as a buffer. Thank the Force for his presence, even if Luke had been pissed when he first came to Ahch-To.

Luke owes Grogu an apology. That’s what he starts with first.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs. “I’m sorry that you were trying to find me for ten years after I left without saying a word, and when you had to find out the hard way about how the temple was destroyed.”

“Dead, I thought you were,” Grogu informs him tiredly, all the fight he brings with him quickly dissolved in the sink of his shoulders. The stone in Luke’s chest sinks deeper. “But, in the Force, I felt you were alive.”

“I know,” Luke licks his dry lips. “And I feel terrible for it.”

“Mandalore, why haven't you gone?” Grogu waves a hand towards Din’s way. “Protect you, _Buir_ would have done.” He pauses. “So would I.”

Luke looks at Din, and he sees the same weariness Grogu wears when he meets his eyes. He’s done this, Luke realises. He’s the one who’s broken his family apart. 

“He’s right,” Din replies quietly. “We could’ve helped you, Luke.”

“I know,” Luke is ashamed to admit that he only remembers it now. “I was— I was in so much grief that I couldn’t handle facing both of you after I ran from the temple. I know I should have. I know I should have contacted you when I could, but I—“ He shakes his head, folding his arms against his chest. “I couldn’t. And I know that’s no excuse to both of you.”

“Help you, we would have,” Grogu tells him softly. “Clan, are we not?”

“Yes,” Luke breathes out. “Yes, of course we are. _Of course we are_. I just— I didn’t _think_. I should have, I know this.”

He doesn’t deserve this. He doesn’t deserve both of their patience, both of their love. 

He’s so strong, Luke realises. Grogu is so strong to be here with him, _wanting_ to see him after everything he’s done.

Luke stares at him, heart in his throat. “I’m so, so sorry, Grogu.”

Grogu sighs, and Luke is ready to accept the fact that he might not be forgiven, that this is the last time they’re all in the same room.

He’s surprised to see Grogu make his way towards him, and Luke straightens himself, arms dropping to his sides when Grogu stops just in front of him.

Luke feels his breath stick inside his chest when Grogu holds up a hand. 

Luke slowly lowers himself down until they’re face to face, and tentatively, he holds onto Grogu’s hand with his own.

“Angry at you, I am not,” Grogu says, giving his fingers a squeeze. Luke inhales a shuddering breath; it’s true. He’s not angry, Luke can feel it. He wants to weep with relief. “Never angry. Disappointed, perhaps. Sad, most of all.”

“You’re not the only one,” he replies, looking up to Din. 

“Yes,” Grogu watches him for a while. “Come home with us.”

Mandalore. His squeamish with the planet has never been too personal. It’s always been for the protection of the three of them. Luke used to visit whenever he could, yes, maybe he used to sleep there for a week, but it’s never more. He can’t risk raising questions whenever he is with Din, the people can’t risk knowing what they are with each other.

They should have. Maybe, they should have, and everything would’ve been easier. But, unfortunately, they are more comfortable in being safe than being sorry.

Now, though. Luke decides he’s had enough of hiding. 

He wants to spend some with his family now. People either know, or they don’t, but he’s had enough of tiptoeing his way around.

He nods. “Yeah. I can do that.”

Grogu smiles, and Luke sucks in a quiet breath when his son reaches forward and presses his forehead against his.

Luke exhales, feels how he sinks into the touch readily.

It’s alright now. He’s forgiven.

He’ll never, ever leave them again.

Din has already stood up from his seat and makes his way towards them. He lowers himself down to the ground, a sound hardly made, and Grogu watches him intently, too, as if he’s waiting for the moment to catch him if he tilts to the side from his bad knees.

It’s funny, because a long time ago, it would’ve been the other way around.

Din brushes a hand over Grogu’s head, and presses his own forehead to his. Then, Din drops a kiss onto his head, before he turns to Luke.

Din slips a hand over his nape, and gently tugs him forward until their foreheads are pressed against each other. Luke closes his eyes, feels the way his hand still holds onto Grogu’s and the other clutching onto Din’s forearm. He feels _them_ , the way their energies flow around his like a stream, their touch cool and familiar against his own.

 _“Ni ven’cabuor gar,”_ Din murmurs, and when Luke opens his eyes, he can see warm brown eyes staring at him. “You’re my priority. I promise. _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum._ ”

He’s home, Luke realises.

Luke touches his cheek with the tip of his fingers, and Din leans against his touch. “ _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum,”_ he breathes.

He’s home with his family again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Buir_ : Father/mother/parent.  
>  _Ni ven’cabuor gar_ : I will protect you  
>  _Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum_ : I love you


End file.
